Branding - continued (Hank gets a lesson)

Well this week following the track meet, Hank and I rushed over to the branding at the Buffalo Pens (I don't know why this area is called the Buffalo Pen, I've not seen a buffalo on the ranch).

John Finegan saw Hank and immediately gave him a job. He handed him the branding iron and put him to work. When the first calf was pulled into the holding area, John took Hank next to the calf and with a wire brush, showed him how to comb down the hair on the left side of the rump. Then holding the electric brand in your right hand, you push the hot iron onto the rump and hold it there while the calf's hair is burned and the symbol is etched into the hide. John told Hank to hold the hot iron there for about 20 seconds and then remove the iron. Not bad for his first time, see the picture ! Branding is only on of the things that is going on for the calf. He is given three shots (2 vaccines and vitamins), an identification tag is hooked onto the ear and IF it is a bull calf, it is castrated!! I did not include a picture of the cutting the @#X'% off of the bull - gross! All the young boys get a queer look on their face when first asked to castrate.

There are lots of activities during the branding. The cowboys or cowgirls enter the holding pen on horseback. With a practiced skill, they lasso the calf, hopefully on the back legs. The rider then secures the rope to the saddle horn and using the horses muscles, pull the screaming calf to the holding area.



The ranch uses a tool called a Northfork to steady the calf and prevent him from wrestling around and getting hurt. As the calf is moved from the herd to the branding arena, the Northfork is placed around its neck. The cowboy keeps the rope tight and the crew descends upon the calf, one brander, three vaccinators. Once this process is finished, the calf is pulled outside the arena and turned loose to an open pasture where momma is waiting.

So far, about 780 calves have been branded. On this ranch there about 600 more calves to process which will probably occur over about three weekends. My next story will be about the folks at the branding, I'm looking forward to introducing some of our friends to you!

Branding - more of the story!

The next Saturday 4/20, when the cows were gathered from the outlying pasture I was there. I love to the get the shots of the cowboys (and cowgirls) on horseback. I still have a secret desire to learn to ride, but mustering the courage to ask someone to teach me is kinda scary (what if they take me up on it and I have to put my butt up in the saddle on one of the huge animals).

Well anyway, I headed over to the area setup for branding near Frank and Vicki's house. I caught up with a few of the cowboys headed out to get more cattle as they crossed the railroad grade and snapped the first picture. Climbing up on a haystack I got a pretty good vantage point to watch the drive of cattle toward the holding pins. Wow, do those cows make alot of noise - they do not want to be rounded up - they like it out on the open range.

In the distance, I saw the cows and calfs come over the horizon. Behind the animals were a line of cowpokes on horseback. These skilled workers knew exactly where to be to move the cows in the right direction without scarying them into a stampede. It was amazing to watch the horses and riders move cautiously from a wide fan to a tight line of riders directing the movement of cows and calfs. Inching ever so slowly, the cows reached the holding pins as the cowboys nudged them with the horses towards the gates. The last picture is one where the two border collies captured an escapee!

Once all the pairs were inside the corrals, the gates were closed and the sorting and branding began.

Again, this was when I had to leave for a track meet with Hank. But I got some great shots of these brave men and women that devote their time to caring for these cattle. Next time, you'll see pictures of the branding operation.

Branding Season at the Ranch

Saturday was the first branding I've been able to snap some pics this year. It was a beautiful day and so neat to see the cowboys pushing the herd toward the holding pins - only thing missing was the music playing "keep them doggies moving, Rawhide". (haha!)

I'm goin to write a series of blogs on branding because I'm limited to four pictures per blog. 4 pictures just does not tell the story of the hard work and effort that goes into this process.

Branding at the ranch is a family event with wives and children helping and neighbors pitching in or watching the action. While some might like to have the inexperienced out of the way, it sure it nice that the management wants to enstill some ranching traditions to the children and to the families that don't come from this environment. Hank and I are still watchers and have yet to find a job we felt qualified to offer assistance.

It's quite a process. The cows and calves are herded by cowboys on horseback from large pastures into a holding corral (3rd Picture). This process takes 8-10 folks about 3 hours riding time that begins before daylight. The mommas are separated from the babies (Smokey's scaring them to death in the 4th picture), and pushed through a chute (watch out for Julie with that electric poker) and given vaccinations, vitamins, and sprayed along the back with some blue looking stuff (more pictures on the next blog). The calves are kept in the corral until all the moms are processed and led back into the open pasture. Generally there is a break in the action before the branding happens.

Since I had to take off for a High School Track meet, thats all the activities I got to see today. I'd say, I got off pretty easy just being the photographer. Check the next blog for more of the story. Jane

Henry - Busted!

If you haven't heard, Henry fell from a tree in our back yard and broke his collar bone! Hank nor I was home but the story he tells us is that he was reaching up for a broken branch, lost his grip and fell about 6 feet, landing directly on his right shoulder, snapping the bone for a clean break. He called my cell, barely able to talk, asking me to hurry home. By the time I arrived, he was pasty white and in lots of pain. Hank and I drove him to the Greeley Memorial Emergency room where he was x-rayed and seen by the Dr. Yep, broken collar bone, nope, nothing to do but put it in a sling and wait for the bone to heal. Henry is a miserable man sitting still, I can promise you that! Don't be fooled by that smile in the picture - that is the drugs the 2nd day after he fell.

It's been two weeks and time has done wonders. He's visited an Orthopedic doctor who has prescribed some physical therapy and allowed him to go back to work on light duty. (I could kiss that doctor for that little gift.) So, he's back at the ranch, driving to pick up parts, doing some very light mechanic work, running a tractor and anything else John will let him do. Thank you, John.

In short, Henry's mending pretty quickly but as most of you know Henry, he won't take it lying down so....pray for me and Hank.

The Captain Visits Colorado!

The airforce academy is hosting Noel for a three week training and we got to visit her on Sunday. We drove down to Colorado Springs, picked up Noel and a few sub sandwhiches, and had a picnic at the Garden of the Gods Park. The Garden of the Gods is a beautiful park highlighting red rock formations that some clever folks have "seen" familiar shapes, named them and then built walking paths all around. There is the sleeping giant, the kissing camels, twin catheral sprials, and balance rock to name a few. It was a sunny, blue sky day. The air was blowing and chilly in the shade but otherwise it was perfect. The pictures only show a little of the area but if you come to visit, we'll be sure to take you there!

It was great to see Noel, hear about her latest adventures and learn how the Air Force is keeping her skills sharp. She'd probably debate the sharpness but the class sounded interesting although we only heard a limited amount. It seems like an amazing career for that little teenager we met so many years ago at Faith UMC. She reminded Hank that she met Henry and I before he was born. Don't know if that made her feel old but it aged me! We love ya, Noel.

We returned home about 4pm and enjoyed having the Finegans, John, Lisa, Shane and Paige, come over for dinner.